Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The National Science Foundation (NSF), through its Directorate for Engineering (ENG), offered the Broadening Participation Research Initiation Grants in Engineering (NSF Publication 10-509) to help launch or strengthen early-stage engineering research programs while intentionally expanding participation in engineering research careers. The central purpose of the program is to grow the diversity of the engineering research community by supporting investigators who are beginning to establish themselves as independent researchers, with particular emphasis on individuals from groups historically underrepresented in engineering and on persons with disabilities. In practice, the opportunity is positioned as a research initiation mechanism that also advances NSF's broader commitment to inclusion by helping more diverse faculty and researchers become visible, successful role models for an increasingly diverse student body and future engineering workforce.

The opportunity highlights several outcomes NSF ENG wants to promote. One is increasing the number and visibility of engineering role models who can mentor and influence students from many backgrounds. Another is expanding research capacity and competitiveness at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) by enabling more engineering researchers at these institutions to conduct independent, high-quality research, which in turn creates additional research experiences and pathways for students from underrepresented groups and for students with disabilities. A third focus is encouraging engineering research projects that incorporate innovative strategies to attract and retain underrepresented populations and persons with disabilities in engineering careers, connecting research activity with broader participation goals rather than treating them as separate efforts.

Awards under this program are designed to be relatively focused and time-limited. The grant period is 24 months, and the maximum award amount is $175,000 in total costs (meaning direct costs plus indirect costs), with an indicated award floor of $50,000. NSF anticipated making about 30 awards, with an estimated total program funding level of about $5,000,000. The funding instrument is a grant, categorized under science and technology and other research and development, and it does not require cost sharing or matching funds.

Eligibility is structured around both the organization and the individual principal investigator (PI). Proposals could be submitted by accredited U.S. universities and colleges, including two-year and four-year institutions (community colleges included), as long as the institution has a campus located in the United States and submits on behalf of its faculty. The announcement also notes that certain U.S.-based nonprofit, non-academic organizations associated with education or research activities (such as museums, observatories, research labs, and professional societies) may be eligible, as described in the program's additional eligibility information. Applicants affiliated with MSIs such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), and Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), as well as persons with disabilities, are especially encouraged to apply, reflecting the program's broadening participation priorities.

At the PI level, the program requires that the proposer be affiliated with an engineering department or a closely related department. A notable structural requirement is that co-principal investigators are not permitted, reinforcing the program's emphasis on supporting a single investigator's research initiation and independence. Even so, the solicitation encourages collaborations with other researchers, including partners at other universities, in industry, and at national laboratories, which allows the PI to build a research network without diluting the independent-investigator focus. Citizenship status is also a strict eligibility condition: the PI must be a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted U.S. permanent resident at the time of application; visa holders are explicitly not eligible.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number 10-509 under CFDA 47.041 (Engineering Grants). It was posted on November 20, 2009, with a full proposal deadline of February 25, 2010, and it was later archived on September 13, 2010. For access issues related to the announcement through Grants.gov, the notice directs applicants to NSF Grants.gov support at grantsgovsupport@nsf.gov.

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